Circuit closing panel



Aug. 26, 1952 D. P. MORGAN 2,608,626

CIRCUIT CLOSING PANEL Filed May 18, 19 19 -lla 3nventor Donald P. Mon anW 6mm Patented Aug. 26, 1952 CIRCUIT CLOSING PANEL Donald P. Morgan,Warren, Pa.

Application May 18, 1949, Serial N 0. 93,878

(Cl. ZOO-51.07)

4 Claims.

of this type, it is necessary to provide a multiplicity of sets ofcircuits that may be closed or opened as a group to enable performanceof particular kinds of work. Generally, these devices are completelywired for several distinct types of work and the circuits are allbrought in an open or unclosed state to a board that is readilyaccessible to an operator of the device. Each lead-in to the'boardterminates in some form of clip or receptacle that is capable ofreceiving or engaging a contact member. A circuit connec- "tor, in theform of a wire, is fitted at its ends with contact plungers and whenthese plungers are projected into or engaged with a pair of leadinreceptacles, a circuit is closed.

In devices of this type, a different set of circuits must be closed toenable performance of each given kind of work and, to avoid thenecessity of sorting out and individually establishing each circuit fora given work with the attendant possibilty of error, it is proposed toprovide panels that are selectively applicable to the circuit board ofthe device. with circuit connectors of such number and arrangement that,when the panel is applied to the board, the plungers will register andmay be engaged with certain open circuit receptacles. When the variouscircuits are thus closed by the connectors, the device is capable ofperforming a given work. For example, if a device, such as a bookkeepingmachine, is capable of performing five different kinds of work, thenfive panels will be provided, each being equipped with previouslyarranged circuit connectors. It would be merely necessary, whenchangingfrom one type of work to another, to withdraw'the plungers todisconnectthe circuits and remove the panel from the board. Anotherpanel, with a different arrangement of circuit connectors, would then beapplied to the board, and this new set of circuits closed by moving thecontact plungers into engagement with the corresponding lead-inreceptacles.

The present invention has for one of its objects the provision ofcircuit connectors that are carried by a removable panel and which areoperable, by axial movement, to engage open circuit terminals for thepurpose of closing one or more sets of predetermined circuits andenablin Each panel is equipped r 2 a given performance of anelectrically operable device. 4

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of circuitconnectors that may be individually moved into or out of circuit closingposition when a panel has been mounted in a position of use.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of a contactplunger that is carried by a panel and which will remain in eithercircuit open or closed position, as may be desired, without thepossibility of movement toward one or the other positions due tovibration caused by operation of the device, or for any other reason.

A still further object of the invention lies in the provision of aremovable panel and contact plunger structure that is easily assembled,readily set up for the establishment of given sets of circuits, and canbe produced in required numbers to establish or complete various sets ofcircuits in a device at reasonable cost.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fullyunderstood from a consideration of the following specification, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing; and in which Fig. l is afront elevational view of a removable I panel and several circuitconnectors embodying Referring more particularly to the drawing, the

reference numeral I0 is employed to generally designate an exposedportion of a device to which the invention is applicable, and thisportion, for purposes of illustration, consists of a board H in which isprovided a recess l2. In the particular disclosure, this recess isrectangular andextends approximately half the depth of the board H. Thebase wall I3 of the recess [2 is provided with a multiplicity ofcylindrical openings M that, at their ends adjacent the rear wall [6 ofthe board, have centered connection with reduced-diametered openings [1.This portion of the board, through which the openings I l are made, isadapted to receive the permanent lead-in terminals. For this purpose,several of the lead-in cables I8 are disclosed. These cables, assuggested in the drawing, terminate in receptacles F9. The body of thereceptacle is adapted to fit snugly in the opening [1, whereas the outeror sleeve 34.

receiving end of the receptacle is formed with an outwardly rolled rim2|. Two or more clips 22 have spring ends 23 that project throughopenings into the interior of the receptacles. These clips may besecured in the position shown by any suitable means, such as the collar2 1. Any suitable means may be employed to hold the receptacle in aposition such that the flared end 2| is flush with the base wall l3. Inthe present instance the collar 2d and the body of the receptacle [*9have a press-fit with the walls of the openings l4 and i1.

A plunger carrying panel 2 6 is proportioned to t into the recess l2,with the top surface thereof preferably flush with the correspondingsurface of the board I I. This panel is drilled to provide transverseopenings 2! of a number and arrangement corresponding to the number andarrangement of the openings Id of the board. Each of the openings 21 isadapted to receive a contact plunger unit. These units are secured tothe ends of short cables or wires 28 and include a collar 29 adaptedtofirmly secure a wire end 3| as well as the end 32 of a plunger 33. Aportion of the body of the plunger is mounted in a The length of thissleeve is preferably the depth of the panel 26. One end of. the sleeveis intended to be flush with the outer face of the panel, although, forsatisfactory operation ofthe structure, this is not necessary. It isadvisable, however, that the inner end 36 of the sleeve be flush withthe inner face of the panel or lying slightly within the opening 21.'The sleeve 34, through a, substantial portion of its length, is formedwith an opening 37 of a diametert enable free movement of the plunger 33therethrough. At the end 36, however, the open- 'ing 3! is slightlyflared, as at 38, and this flared opening decreases in diameter throughan incline 39 to the diameter of thev opening 37. The other end of theplunger terminates in a contact head 4.1 which is connected with theplunger body by a reduced neck portion 42.

It is. evident from examination of Fig. 3, that whenthe plunger is movedin one direction with respect to the sleeve 3d, the end 43 of the collar29 will come into abutment with the adjacent end ofthesleeve 34 and thusmovement of the plunger in this direction is limited in this manner.However, when the plunger is moved in the opposite direction, the head Mmoves int the flared end 38 of the sleeve and has wedging engagementwith the inclined walls zfi. Thus the plungor may be frictionally heldin a position within the sleeve such that the head All is flush with thesleeve end 36 and the corresponding face of the panel 25.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, panel 26 is shown to be, provided with threecables or wires 28, to the ends of which are attached plunger units, asabove described. To illustrate the use of the invention, it may beassumed that only three circuits are required to be closed through theapplication of panel 26 to the board II, and that these circuits are inthe arrangement shown. It will, of course, be understood that thearrangement of the circuits, toperform a given Work of the device, isknown and, before the panel 26 is mounted, the plungerunits thatterminate the cables are inserted in the panel. The sleeves 34 arepress-fitted into the openings 21 and the plungers 33 are in withdrawnposition; that is, each head 4| is enclosed in the enlarged or flaredend of the sleeve34. The panel 26 may now be projected into the opening[2 of the board II and any suitable means, if required, may be employedto prevent displacement of the panel, such, for example, as the clips44. When the panel is in place, the collars 29, at the ends of thecables 28, are moved inwardly toward the panel, thus disengaging theplunger heads 41 from the sleeves Bil and projecting them into the openends of the receptacles :9. When the end 43 of the collar contacts thesleeve 34, the plunger head 4| will have been projected intothe'receptacle l9, past the spring ends 23 of clips 22. The clipsprevent inadvertent disengagement of the plungers from the terminalreceptacles and also aid in establishing a non-arcing contact. When itis desired to remove panel 26 for the purpose of inserting another panelhaving differently arranged circuit connectors, the collars 29 arepreferably Withdrawn from the terminal receptacles l9 and become fixedin their respective sleeves 34. The clips A l may now be released andthe knobs thereof provide suitable means for Withdrawing the panel fromthe opening in the circuit board. While it may be possible to withdrawthe panel from the terminal receptacles, as, for example, in the presentillustration, when only three circuits are closed, it might be foundsomewhat difficult to break the circuit by merely withdrawing the panelfrom the board when some ten or fifteen circuits, with a correspondingdouble number of plungers, are in use.

Although applicant has shown and described only one form of hisinvention, it will be apparent that variations of the structure may bemade in adapting the invention to diiferent devices requiring this typeof circuit closing structuraand that such variations are considered asbeing within the spirit and scope of the invention insofar as they areset out in the annexed claims.

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim as new and for which Idesire protection by Letters Patent is:

' 1. A removable circuit closing device applicable to a control boardhaving a plurality of open circuit terminals, said device comprising. apanel having transverse openings registerable with said terminals whenmounted on said board, circuit closing units on said panel, said unitsvincluding relatively fixed and movable telescoping elements, the fixedelements being secured in the openingsv in said panel, and the movableelements being of a length to have end portions that extend. beyond oneface of said panel, cables connecting pairs of said end portions, headson the other ends of said movable elements engageable. with saidterminals, when said movable elements are moved in a direction to extendbeyondthe other face of said panel, and means forming part of said fixedelements for engaging said heads and securing said movable elements inretracted noncircuit closing position.

2. A circuit closing unit for use on the detach.- ablepanel of a circuitcontrol board, comprising a sleeve mounted in a transverse opening insaid panel, a plunger carried by said sleeve. of

, a length at least twice that of said sleeve, a

cable receiving collar on one end of said plunger, a contact head on theother. end of said plunger, said head serving to limit axial movement ofsaid plunger in a direction to be withdrawn from circuit closingposition and said collar serving to limit axial movement in thedirection of closing a circuit, and means for engaging and securing saidplunger in non-circuit closing position.

3. A circuit closing unit for use on the detachable panel of a circuitcontrol board, comprising a sleeve mounted in a transverse opening insaid panel, the ends thereof being substantially flush with the faces ofsaid panel, a plunger carried by said sleeve, a cable connector on oneend of said plunger, a contact head on the other end of said plunger,one end of said sleeve having an inclined opening for wedge receivingsaid head when said plunger occupies a non-circuit closing position,said connector serving to limit movement of said plunger in a directionto close a circuit.

4. A removable circuit closing device applicable to a control boardhaving a plurality of open circuit terminals, said device comprising apanel having transverse openings registering with said terminals whenmounted on said board, circuit closing units on said panel, said unitsincluding relatively fixed and movable telescoping elements, the fixedelements being secured in the openings in said panel, and the movableelements being of a length to have end portions extending beyond oneface of said panel, cables connecting pairs of said end portions,contact heads on the other ends of said movable elements engageable withsaid terminals when said movable elements are extended beyond the otherface of said panel, means on said fixed elements cooperating with saidheads when said movable elements are retracted to secure said movableelements in a position with said heads within the confines of saidpanel.

DONALD P. MORGAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,391,324 Martin Dec. 18, 19452,401,430 Lake June 4, 1946 2,407,176 Piatt et a1. Sept. 3, 19462,441,393 Buchanan et al. May 11, 1948

